The present application relates to a product output device for a product supply system.
When filling empty packagings, as for example sachets, beakers, tins or the like, modern packaging machines work with that high speed that it is hardly possible any more to fill the packaging containers to be filled in the short available time reliably with certain product amounts, which are, for example, obtained by weighing, counting, time-controlled dosing or the like. In order to provide product amounts which are to be filled into the packaging containers, for example a respective number of conventional filling scales or a combination scale is/are used. In both cases, the product amounts ejected from the spatially separated weighing containers of the conventional scales or of the combination scale have to be fed to the filling point of the packaging machine.
EP 0 979 393 B1 describes a product output device with movable collecting containers. With this system, product amounts weighed in a weighing system are distributed to a first and a second product supply device. Below those, a respective first collecting container and a respective second collecting container are positioned, which are respectively provided with closure flaps. Below the collecting containers, a product receiving device is provided which leads into a respective packaging machine. Herein, the weighing system can output weighed product amounts to the first or the second product supply device. These product amounts are then collected by the collecting containers with closed closure in a way that the product amounts, which are uncompressed by the wall of the collection chute, are collected via a tapering interior space in a compact form again. The collecting containers are aligned in a way that the ejection opening of a respective collection chute is positioned in the direction of the gravitation accelerations always within the circumference of the upper opening of the collecting container, such that they can receive a weighed product amount, which is ejected by the weighing system in their ejection position above the product receiving device and in a different position. In a respective position, the product amounts contained in the collecting containers are ejectable into the product receiving device by opening the respective closure flaps.
EP 1 184 648 B1 discloses a similar product output device which is additionally provided with a device for opening of the closure flaps. Herein, the opening and the closing of the closure flaps is variably selectable depending on the position of the collecting containers (those are pivoted around an axis). In this way, it can be ensured that the closure flaps of the collecting containers open or close depending on the situation—if products are ejected from the product supply device, the closure flaps are respectively closed, however, if one of the collecting containers is located in the ejection position above the product receiving device, the flaps can be opened, so that the product can be ejected in a compact manner.
From such systems, however, two basic problems arise:
On the one hand, it has to be waited until a complete product amount has left one of the collecting containers. Only then, the tilting movement of the collecting containers can begin. Otherwise, the product would be displaced by the closure flaps. A transfer of the complete product portion to the product receiving device would then not be guaranteed any more. By collision with the walls of the product receiving device, the product is furthermore decelerated via friction.
A product amount is thereby uncompressed. For this reason, a clear separation with regard to the next portion is only possible with longer time intervals between the single portions. Hence, the performance of such a plant is low.
A further problem derives, as the pivoting process of the collecting containers can only begin after the closing of the closure flaps of the collecting containers. Hence, said pivoting process max only consume a preferably short time in order to realize a respectively desired—although low—performance of the plant. Pivoting of the collecting containers has hence to be performed with very high velocities, being the reason why high accelerations can occur both in the beginning and at the end of the pivoting process. A respective drive for pivoting of the collecting containers has to be respectively designed, which, in turn, can have strong retro-active effects on the system, for example in the form of unrest, fluctuations and impacts. Because of the high dynamic loads occurring hereby, the system requires a respectively high stiffness. This compulsorily leads to massive, heavy components.